1. Surprising History of Tiffany and Co.
With all the popularity of the little blue box, you might not realize that Tiffany and Co. started out as a stationary store in 1837. In fact, it was originally named Tiffany, Young and Ellis until in 1853 Charles Tiffany took full charge of the store and started to change things around. This historic move from stationary to jewelry is one of the biggest success stories in the retail world.
2. Tiffany and Co. Involved in War and the White House
Little do people know that in the early years, this iconic store was a shadow of what it is today. For instance, during the Civil War, Charles Tiffany provided Union flags, medical supplies and equipment and swords for the Union soldiers. From there, Tiffany was a key player in the redesign of the United States of America’s Great Seal, as well as designing a set of china for the White House during the Lyndon B. Johnson administration.
3. Tiffany and Co. Designed the Superbowl Lombardi Trophy
That’s right. The famous luxury jewelry store designed the Lombardi trophy for winners of the Superbowl and their affiliation with sports doesn’t end there. Tiffany and Co. also designed the MLS (Major League Soccer) trophy, a variety of World Series men’s rings, and even the “NY” logo for the New York Yankees was designed by none other than Tiffany and Co.
4. The Tiffany and Co. Sales People Have Specialized Training in Bow Tying
This may seen like an absurd thing to note, but surprisingly it is true and worth mentioning. Our staff here at the Diamond Authority has visited many a Tiffany and Co. stores around the world and we’ve found the same thing: all the employees have a distinct, slightly OCD way of wrapping the ring box after purchase. We’ve discovered that they do indeed go through some specific training on how to package the ring, tie the bow around the box, added jewelry pouches and the in-house Tiffany and Co. grading certificate.
The packaging is as good as it’s cracked up to be, and certainly the finest quality we have ever seen. But does it justify the price? Keep reading to find out!
5. Most Expensive Cell Phones in the World Made by Tiffany and Co.
Either they were doing it on a whim or trying to get into the record books when Tiffany and Co. decided to team up with a Japanese cell phone company to make ten of the world’s most expensive cell phones. Encrusted with 400 diamonds totaling a whopping 20 carats, each phone cost over $1 million.
With the amount of times we lose our cell phones, one wonders if the owners ever used their phones.
6. The Tiffany and Co. Blue Color is Patented.
With the robin’s egg blue color being so synonymous with this jewelry store, it is no wonder they decided to patent the color. The name? Tiffany Blue, Pantone 1837.
7. Side by Side, Are Tiffany and Co. Diamonds Better? You’ll Be Surprised.
No, they are not. Surprised? We found an identical diamond at James Allen in a near match with the Tiffany Novo ring so we could compare apples to apples. Here are the details:
James Allen: $5000 (H Color, VS1 Clarity, 1 Carat)
Tiffany and Co.: $13,700 (I Color, 1 Carat, VS2 Clarity, a slightly lesser quality clarity than the James Allen diamond).
What does this mean? The better graded diamond from James Allen was $9000 less than the Tiffany diamond. Bottom line? The one carat Tiffany Novo would have been a full three times more than the James Allen ring. Is a $9000 engraving and blue box worth it?
The comparison you make is apples to oranges. James Allen does not have a Novo cut diamond since it is a proprietary cut diamond. James Allen may have a much less expensive, common everyday cushion cut that is three times less then a Novo. The James Allen diamond was not set in an ethically sourced platinum mounting set by Master diamond setters with exquisitely matched diamond melee in the setting. Do all the diamonds on James Allen have Kimberly reports that track the source of the diamonds? Are their diamonds cut by cutting houses that employ workers from the same country that they are sourced? Does James Allen actually own the diamonds they feature or are they just a list of diamonds available from various diamond wholesalers? If they are just a list, then they cannot guarantee that the diamond you see on line will be there if you decide you want it, and they will send you the next best thing. I challenge you to buy that James Allen diamond and the Tiffany & Co. Novo diamond ring and do a side by side comparison, and take a video. As a Graduate Gemologist and an Independent appraiser, I like to see fair and accurate information about all brands. If the diamonds on James Allen were good enough to be a Tiffany & Co, Cartier or Graff diamond, they would not be listed on James Allen or Blue Nile, they would have been sold to a premium diamantaire.